he would also convert his Brethren He said that St. John was always obedient to St. Peter after the death of Christ and when they both ran to the Sepulcher he would not go in first but gave the precedency to the other To him Christ gave the Charge of feeding his Sheep in a more especial manner besides when the Net was full of Fishes and a great many of them could not stir it Peter alone drew it a shore Then he proceeds to the business of the Divorce where he tells the King That it was not the terrors of Conscience and the dread of the Divine Displeasure as he pretended but Lust and an ungovernable Appetite which made him part with his Wife Catherine whom his Brother Arthur an infirm Youth of fourteen years of age had left a Virgin That it was not lawful for him to marry Anne Bullein whose Sister he had kept as his Miss before That Catherine was a Maid himself had confess'd to several Persons particularly to the Emperor But he falls violently upon him for writing to so many Universities for their Opinion concerning his first Marriage and for being pleas'd with the sense of his former uncleanness when some told him That Match was Incestuous That it was a most scandalous thing for him to prefer the Daughter of a Strumpet before a most excellent young Lady lawfully begotten Then he goes on to the Execution of the Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas Moore where he enlargeth himself and declaims very tragically against the cruelty of it From whence he proceeds to tell the King how he had oppress'd and impoverish'd all degrees of Men and made a most flourishing Kingdom miserable and what danger he was in from the Emperor for divorcing his Aunt and subverting Religion and what little reason he had to expect any Foreign or Domestick Assistance who had behav'd himself so ill towards the Commonwealth Then he applies himself to the Emperor and makes use of a great many words to provoke him to revenge such a notorious Affront put upon his Family and saith That the Seeds of Turcism are scatter'd about England and Germany meaning the Antipapal Doctrin At last after he had charg'd his Prince with a great many Crimes and almost call'd him all to naught he exhorts him to repent and tells him There was no other remedy to be had but by returning to the bosom of the Church which he had formerly defended in print and therein given a most admirable example This Book was publish'd without any date at Rome and lay conceal'd a long time at last a great many years after one or two in Germany got it The occasion of his writing he saith was because the King formerly desir'd it And though a great many learned Men in England who had done the same thing had lost ther Lives yet he was so much oblig'd by his Highness that he could not perswade himself to dissemble his thoughts for both his temper and way of living had made him very averse to that Vice and therefore what he had said ought not to be attributed to passion or ill will on the contrary since he endeavour'd to bring him into his way again and to rescue him from those Flatterers who had run him upon such gross Mistakes he thought he did him very great service Now King Henry had taken care to breed this Gentleman to Learning and had been kind to him in many respects But when that alteration which I mention'd happen'd in England and was disapprov'd by Pool Paul the Third by the advice and recommendation of Contareni makes him a Cardinal and invited him to Rome Those who were intimately acquainted with him say That he understood the reformed Religion very well and imagine that the reason of his writing against King Henry was to avoid the suspicion of Lutheranism They say he printed his Book at Rome at his own Charge and ordering all the Copies to be brought to him gave them out only to the Pope and Cardinals and to his special Friends for he was willing to stand fair in their Opinion and was likewise afraid it 's probable of falling under the Censure of those who had several times heard him discourse very differently upon that Subject THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOK XI The CONTENTS The Protestants send their Embassadors to the Emperor with whom they were principally to insist upon three things Eldo the Emperor's Embassador gives them a large Answer at Smalcalde To which all the Confederates reply and particularly they reflect smartly upon the Council they were invited to Eldo rejoyns upon them ex tempore In the mean time the Pope dispatcheth away the Bishop of Aix into Germany The Prosestants give their Reasons why they refuse the Council and write to the French King about it The Queen of Scotland dies The King of England and his Nobility publish a Manifesto against the Council which the Pope had call'd The Town and Castle of St. Paul in Artois is taken Terouenna is besisg'd by the Imperialists but without Success IN the Ninth Book I had occasion to mention the Ausburghers Now when these Men had made an Alteration in Religion and the Ecclesiasticks most of which were descended of good Families leaving the Town in a disgust upon this account The Senate address'd themselves to the Emperor to King Ferdinand and to all the States of the Empire and acquaint them with the Reasons of their proceedings in writing in which they let them understand how kindly they had us'd these Gentlemen how many things they had born from them and on the contrary how provokingly they had behav'd themselves attempting several times to raise an Insurrection in the Town Not long after Christopher their Bishop publisheth an Answer to this Book in the name of himself and his Party and after a great many Complaints he desires the Emperor and the Princes in regard the danger toucheth them no less than himself to make some Provision for the common Safety In the last Book I mention'd the Protestants Embassy to the Emperor in Italy The Persons sent were Joachim Papenheim Lewis Bambach and Claudius Peutinger a Lawyer They had three things in their Commission in which they were more especially to concern themselves To confute the Report which was spread as if they were entring into an Alliance with the Kings of England and France That the Emperor would Check the Proceedings of the Chamber of Spire And that those who were admitted into the League after the Pacification at Nuremburgh might enjoy the benefit of that Treaty The Emperor admitted them to Audience but being busied in Military affairs he told them he would send an Embassador into Germany with his Answer Therefore when he was about to return into Spain by the way of Genoa he sent Mathias Eldo his Vice-Chancellor into Germany When the Protestants understood this by their Embassadors at their return they appoint the Seventh of February
pleased to enlighten this Age in a particular manner with the Knowledge of his Gospel they were bound to submit to the Discovery which they did not with an Intention of disobliging him or any other Mortal whatever but only that they might go to Heaven and be made Happy for ever For in all other things they had de facto shown themselves obedient to his Majesty and now their Inclinations are still the same as is evident from the last Treaty at Francfort But about a Year since the Secretary of Henry of Brunswick happening to fall into the Lantgrave's Company near Cassell and being detained by him upon a violent Suspicion was the Occasion of discovering some Mens Intrigues whose Business it is to provoke their own Party to take up Arms by perswading them that the Protestants are preparing to begin with them already Now this Report being brought to his Majesty was without question the reason of his suffering the Counter-League to be made And after their Adversaries had concerted this League they fell to raising of Forces which at last themselves were likewise obliged to do in their own Defence insomuch that a great deal of Danger would have followed if the Secretary had not been taken up by chance and unless the Palsgrave and the Elector of Brandenburg had interposed with singular Integrity and Application And now since the Disloyalty and Odium of this Disturbance is laid upon them without any manner of Ground and that they abundantly justified themselves in Print from such Calumnies as these they conceive if his Majesty had been throughly acquainted with the whole Matter he would not have engaged in this new League which is so much talked of at present Therefore they humbly entreat his Majesty not to give any Credit to those Complaints which have been preferr'd against them and if they happen to be accused of any Misdemeanor for the future that he would please to let them know it that they may answer for themselves They also entreat his Majesty to enquire into the Designs and Actions of Henry Duke of Brunswick and to concern himself so far as to secure them from all such Apprehensions for the future And whereas they are represented as if they were not sollicitous about Religion and a just Reformation this is nothing but Aspersion and Untruth for Religion is the main thing which they appear for neither have they ever refused to referr their Cause to a fair Hearing Of this reasonable Proposal they are able to make good proof particularly it appears from the last Treaty at Francfort and from the Lantgrave's Letter to King Ferdinand after that Diet was ended In this Letter his Imperial Majesty was desired to order a Conference of Learned Men. This request they now humbly renew to his Majesty desiring him not to deal any otherwise with them than with those who are affectionately desirous of Unity and Agreement in Religion and of the Welfare of the Empire and are likewise willing to serve his Majesty in every thing as far as Conscience and Equity will give them leave About Four Years ago his Majesty was pleased to declare when he wrote from Italy that he would not make use of Arms and Violence but of Arguments and Truth to compose the Differences in Religion His Majesty had likewise lately expressed himself to the same Sence in his Letters to the Palsgrave and the Elector of Brandenburg in which he gave his Reasons why he could not then attend to the Affairs of Religion this account was extreamly satisfactory to them and their Prayers to God were That he would fortifie his Majesty in this Resolution Now at the late Diet at Francfort there were a great many things agreed upon and a Truce concluded provided his Majesty approved it within Six Months this he had not been pleas'd to do as yet though the half Year had been expired a great while since and besides the Judges of the Chamber gave Sentence against them in Causes which were purely Spiritual and executed the Proscription of Minden perfectly contrary to his own and King Ferdinand's Order Now how prejudicial this is to the Empire his Majesty is certainly very sensible therefore they beseech him that he would interpose his Authority for otherwise the measures for prosecuting the Turkish War cannot be adjusted nor the Conference of Learned Men begun which hath been so often wished for for in order to the right fettlement of the Government a firm and lasting Peace ratified by all the States of the Empire is absolutely necessary This Undertaking will be both very Honourable for his Majesty who hath already gained the Title of a Pacifick Emperor and also mightily for the Interest of all Germany They had their Audience of the Emperor upon the Twenty-fourth of February at Ghent Granvell being present where his Majesty told them He would take some time to consider and then give them an Answer Much about the same time that the Protestants sent an Ambassy to the Emperor they wrote likewise to the French King acquainting him That for some Years last past his Majesty had declared his good Affection to them both in his Letters and by his Ambassadors and had also a right Notion of a Council namely That Controversies in Religion are not to be determined by Blows and Fighting but by Reason and Truth This his Majesty's Inclination and Sence of things was extreamly satisfactory to them because they saw he was in Love with Equity and resolved to protect it And therefore by way of return they have always to their power endeavoured to show their gratitude and respect which makes them believe that he still continues his kind Intentions and Opinion of them Moreover that Friendship and good Understanding which was now between his Majesty and their Emperor was a blessing they were exceeding glad of and congratulated the good Fortune of Christendom upon several accounts but more especially because they hoped it would be remarkably instrumental in reconciling the Differences in the Church Indeed the Death of the Empress has hitherto prevented his Imperial Majesty from executing the Decree which was made the last Year at Francfort But now since both their Majesties are upon such good Terms they conceive the matter may be easily adjusted if he pleaseth to second the Emperor's Endeavours in it and lendeth as it were his helping hand to the Cause which they earnestly desire he would be pleas'd to do that so the Church may have the advantage of those Expedients which were agreed upon at Francfort They confessed they were fully satisfied concerning the Emperor's Intentions and excellent Temper and had also sent an Ambassy to him of which they hoped to be able to give a good account But their Adversaries are almost always contriving one Design or other to hinder these publick Measures from taking effect for the distrust they have of their Cause makes them that they will not endure to have the Merits of it examined in a
be granted frequently nor without particular Reasons for fear of making the Solemnities of Religion grow Contemptible and more especially the principal part of them the Sacrament Those they call Indulgences or Pardons of Sins ought not to come about so often but be distributed only once a year and in great Towns. Vows should not be altered inconsiderately nor discharged in any other Performances but those which agree with the Design of such a Religious Obligation We observe likewise That the last Will and Testament of those Persons who have happened to give a summ of Money for pious Uses is sometimes unfulfilled upon pretence of the Poverty of the Heirs or Legatees But it 's requisite this Practice should be narrowly enquired into and not permitted but when this Poverty happens in such a manner after the Death of the Testator that in all probability if he had been living he would have altered his Will himself For otherwise it 's Wickedness to alter that which a Man is supposed to will the last thing which he does in this World. And now having given an Account as far as our Memories would serve us of what concerneth the Church in general we shall add some few things more which relate particularly to the Pope and Bishop of Rome And in regard this City and Church of Rome is the Parent and Mistress of all Churches She hath an extraordinary Obligation upon her to exceed all others in Religion and Decency of Living But notwithstanding there are a great many ignorant and slovenly Priests belonging to the Cathedral of St. Peter who are so meanly and scandalously habited both in respect of their own Cloths and the Vestments of their Office that it would be a very ill Sight for them to appear in that manner if it were only in ordinary and private Houses And in this indecent Garb they perform Divine Service to the great Dissatisfaction of those who are present Therefore Order must be given to the Arch-Priest or to the Penitentiary That all such offensive Negligence may be removed out of the way first in this Town and afterwards in other places But then what Complaint is sharp enough against those shameless Strumpets who are suffered to appear in the same Dress and Figure with other Women of Vertue and Condition who ride upon Mules through the most publick places of the Town at noon Day and have part of the Retinue of Cardinals of the first Quality and such extraordinary Attendance to wait upon them Truly we must needs say we never saw such Marks of Dissoluteness and Debauchery in any other Town but in that which ought to be as it were the Pattern and Original for all the World to draw after and imitate And to make their Grandeur Uniform these lewd Women are permitted to dwell in stately Houses to the great Scandal of the place There are likewise in this Town very great Feuds and Factions Now 't is your Holiness's Concern to make up all these Breaches and it would be very proper for you to put the Management of this Affair into the Hands of a certain number of Cardinals who are likely to be most successful to the End that all Differences may be composed and the Townsmen reconciled to one another Lastly The Maintenance and Protection of the Poor and Widows does in a more particular Manner belong to you These may it please your Holiness are the Disorders which we conceive ought to be corrected And though we were not sufficiently qualified to perform the Task you have laid upon us yet because we have done our best we are satisfied with the Discharge of our Consciences and your Government gives us great Hopes of an Effectual Reformation and that we shall have the Satisfaction to see the Church regular in the Conversation of her Members decent in her Administrations and undisturbed in her Communion and your Holiness's Memory immortaliz'd upon this Account You have taken the Name of Paul upon you and therefore we hope you will endeavour the Welfare of the Church with the fame generous Affection which he did God chose St. Paul that he might make him a remarkable and extraordinary Instrument in publishing his Kingdom to the Gentiles So also we hope you are chosen to recover the ancient Lustre of Christianity which is somewhat Eclipsed at present to heal the publick Distempers to bring the Flock of Christ into one Fold and to avert the Wrath of God which hangs over us for our Sins Thus this Reformation was drawn into a Scheme but it was neither put in practice nor made publick The Pope at last prorogued the Council again from the first of November till the first of May following and appoints Vicenza for the place which is a large City and well served with Provisions in the Territory of the Venetians and dispatched away three Cardinals who were to open the Council and receive those who came thither The Pope as was before observed had a mind to carry the Business of the Reformation privately but it was not long before it came to light And as soon as an Account of it was brought into Germany Luther wrote against it in High Dutch and John Sturmius in Latin and addressed themselves in their Answer to the Reformers In Luther's Book a Man needs only look upon the Cutt in the Frontispiece to understand his Argument For the Pope is represented fitting upon a high Throne and several of the Cardinals placed about him who with Foxes Tails ty'd at the End of Poles brush down all the Cobwebs both above and below Nicholas Cardinal and Archbishop of Capua one who was violent against all Reformation was in the Consistory when this Matter was farther debated This Man who was certainly believed to be sent thither on purpose by the Pope bestirred him mightily that nothing might be reform'd and among other Arguments urged That if his Advice was not taken the Lutherans would brag that they had as it were forced them to put things into better Order This Cardinal was so prevalent that the Pope and the Fathers were perswaded at last not to make any Alterations And yet this very Man who hindred the Reformation is said to have sent a Copy of it privately into Germany to a Friend of his which most People thought he did to expose the Pope and his Reformers Others are of Opinion the Pope was not unwilling to let this Book come out because he might imagine it might shew him inclinable to correct the Abuses in the Church and this Men were to understand by the bye as if he would have given them a larger Draught of Amendments if he had thought any thing of this nature would have been published Now concerning Erasmus his Colloquies which the Cardinals found fault with the case stands thus This Author amongst many other Works with which he wonderfully promoted the Advancement of Learning wrote a little Book by way of Dialogue for the use of young
People and when he understood it was very kindly received he afterwards enlarged it And being a person of incomparable Sence and Elocution he diverts his Reader with variety of Arguments drawn from Conversation and such familiar Subjects as all people are acquainted with Where with admirable Address and a most entertaining Stile he intermixes moral and pious Discourses and sometimes upon Occasion reflects upon the old overgrown Errors and Corruptions of the Church which was the reason the Cardinals complained against him In February the French King makes Anne Montmorency who was Lord Steward of his Household Master of the Horse they call it Constable of France which is the highest Honour the Subject is capable of This Office had been kept void about fifteen Years ever since Charles Duke of Bourbon enjoyed it For the King was so extreamly offended with his Revolt that he would not trust any other Person with it till now Besides this Station hath been unfortunate to several others before who by their irregular Management of so great a Power have either provoked the King or the Nobility In the mean time about the latter end of May the Protestants meet at Brunswick there they treat of Matters relating to the League and receive Christian King of Denmark into it He was Son to Frederick and was converted to the Reformed Religion and committed the Modelling and Government of his Churches to John of Pomeren whom he had sent for from Wittenbâ—rg and was crowned by him John Marquess of Brandenburg Brother to Joachim the Elector desired the Duke of Saxony to move the Convention that he might be admitted into the League The Duke therefore had a Commission to treat with him after he came home upon certain Conditions and to receive him in the Name of the whole Party The same thing was desired by Albert Duke of Prussia who was Six Years since out-lawed by the Imperial Chamber which was the principal Reason why the Protestants did not admit him into their Society however they all promised to be kind to him When the Elector of Saxony the Lantgrave and their Friends were upon their Journey to this Convention Henry Duke of Brunswick denied to give them a safe Conduct through his Territories For now he was contriving a War against them as will appear afterwards In the Retinue of the Elector of Saxony there was one Maurice a young Gentleman of Seventeen Years of Age Nephew to George Duke of Saxony by Henry his Brother This Henry was a Protestant therefore the Elector took his Son Maurice who was his Kinsman into his own Tuition The King of Denmark also came himself to Brunswick In the Ninth Book I mentioned the Persecution of the Lutherans in France the Particulars of which will be tedious to relate but this Year upon the Fifteenth Day of April which was Nine Days before Easter a young Gentleman of Tholouse about Twenty Years of Age and a studious Person was burnt at Paris for eating Flesh It 's true he was not burn'd perfectly alive but hanged over a Fire where the Gallows was so contrived that he must in some measure feel the Flames which were kindled under him which way of Execution was granted him as a customary Favour of that place because before he came out of Prison he confessed he had done a wicked and irreligious Action into which Confession he was overawed by Judge Morin who took some Pains with him to fright him But this was all he got by his Submission for Repentance goes for no more there than only to procure a Man some abatements of Torture in dying But those who continue firm are executed with the utmost Severity as hath been shown already There was likewise Three Low-country Men in the same Danger and upon the same Occasion but having notice of it given them by a Gentleman of the Parliament a Man of great Sence and Learning they secured themselves by Flight In May the Pope takes a Journey to Nice de Provence a Port Town belonging to the Duke of Savoy whether the Emperor and the French King came also chiefly at his Request The Emperor sailed with his Fleet from Spain but the King took his Progress up the Continent having a Body of Germans among the rest of his Attendance commanded by William of Furstenburg After a long Debate though they could not agree in the main yet in June they concluded a Truce for Ten Years And here Margaret the Emperor 's natural Daughter was contracted to Octavius the Pope's Grandchild by his Son. This Lady was courted before by Cosmo Duke of Florence after the Death of Alexander di Medici The Kings had not their Interview at this place though the Pope desired it very much But some few days after he went away they met at Aigues Mortes a Town in Languedoc situate at the Mouth of the Rhone the Ancients called it Marius his Ditch Here the Emperor landed with his Fleet upon the Seventeenth Day of July in his Return to Spain But before he reached the Port the French King sent Velius his Admiral with several Galleys to attend his Imperial Majesty who when he had sailed almost up to Aigues the Constable of France came and entreated him That he would let his Fleet come to an Anchor in the Haven for the King would be there within Two Hours and wait upon him in his Galley Accordingly the Emperor made the Port as soon as those Ships came up which had lost the Body of the Fleet by reason of a Mist which fell the Day before Not long after the King came and went in a Shallop to the Fleet having in his Train Anthony Duke of Lorrain and the Cardinal his Brother The Emperor came as far as the Ladder of the Galley to meet him and there handed him in Where it 's not to be expressed what Embracings and Ceremony passed between them After they were seated in the Stern those Noblemen who attended the Emperor made very low and respectful Reverences to the French King There the Emperor ordered Granvell to bring Andrew Doria Prince of Melfi his Admiral into their Presence to pay his Respects to the French King from whom he had revolted Ten Years since as was observed in the Sixth Book When he came the King saluted him by his Title and told him since he was a Friend and Servant of the Emperor's and that it was his Pleasure he should see him he would gratify his Majesty in that point whom he esteemed as a Brother After they had conversed about an Hour in a familiar and obliging way the King took his Leave The next day early in the Morning the Emperor orders publick Notice to be given to all the Galleys That no Man should go ashore but himself attended with several Noblemen maketh up to Land in order to dine with the King As soon as he came to the Key the King and Queen and their two Sons receive him with all the Civility